Applicator pad



C. M. CLARE APPLICATOR PAD Dec. 12, 1967 Filed Jan. 17, 1966 United States Patent 3,357,034 APPLICATOR PAD Cora May Clare, 373 Farmington Ave., Hartford, Conn. 06105 Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 520,975 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-10433) This invention relates in general to improvements in applicators and deals more particularly with a prefolded disposable applicator pad and a method for making such a pad.

Although the pad of the present invention is particularly adapted for applying cosmetic preparations such as astringent lotions and the like, it is also capable of more general use as an applicator or wiper.

The general object of the invention is to provide an applicator pad of the aforedescribed character for convenient manual manipulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposa'ble applicator pad for manual manipulation wherein a plurality of unsoiled surface areas may be rapidly and conveniently successively exposed during manipulation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an applicator pad which may be successively employed to apply and remove cosmetic preparations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawing forming a part thereof.

The drawing shows preferred embodiments of the invention and such embodiments will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sheet of material from which the pad of FIG. 1 is formed.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sheet of FIG. 2, the approximate position of first and second fold lines being shown by broken lines.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the sheet of FIG. 2 as it appears after it has been folded along the first and second fold lines, the approximate position of a third fold line being shown by a broken line.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the sheet of FIG. 2 as it appears after it has been folded along the first, second and third fold lines, the approximate position of a fourth fold line being shown by a broken line.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the sheet of FIG. 2 as it appears after it has been folded along the first through the fourth fold lines.

of an applicator embodying FIG. 7 is a plan view of an applicator and shows an-' other embodiment of the invention.

An applicator made in accordance with the present invention and indicated generally by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1 comprises a prefolded pad 12 and a retaining means or detachable clip 14 which is secured to an extending corner portion of the pad. The clip provides a convenient handle for manipulating the pad and also serves to maintain it in its folded condition while it is used in this condition. The clip is adapted to be readily detached from the pad to permit the pad to be unfolded to successively expose unsoiled surface areas as it is manipulated.

The pad is made from a piece of absorbent material which may for example be of the laminated fibrous type commonly used as facial tissue, but preferably and as shown a random flock material such as pressed cotton or the like is used and may be impregnated with a cosmetic preparation. The material has a generally rectangular shape and is preferably provided with one or more olds to form a sheet of multiple thicknesses from which the pad is folded.

'In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, a generally rectangular piece of pressed cotton material 16 is provided and is centrally folded along its minor axis 18 to form a rectangular sheet 20 which has two plies 22, 22 and from which the pad 12 is formed. Preferably the sheet 20 has a length to width ratio of 4 to 5.

Considering now the manner in which the sheet is folded to form a pad, reference is had to FIGS. 3-6. The sheet 20 is shown in FIG. 3 as it appears before it is folded, the corners of the sheet being indicated generally by the letters A, B, C and D. For convenience in the description that follows the sheet 20 is considered as oriented in FIG. 3 with the lower elongated edge CD extending generally longitudinally. Preferably the upper edge A-B corresponds to the folded edge 18.

The sheet 20 includes a front surface or face 24 and shown thereon is the approximate position of first and second fold lines indicated respectively at 26 and 28 along which the sheet is subsequently folded. The fold lines 26 and 28 which generally traverse the sheet extend upwardly and inwardly or toward the middle of the sheet from the respectively associated lower corners C and D. The fold lines 26 and 28 respectively partially define gen erally triangularly shaped transversely opposite end portions 30 and 32 which respectively include the upper corners A and B.

Each of the end portions 30 and 32 is folded inwardly along a respectively associated one of the fold lines 26 and 28 to overlie the face 24 so that the upper corners A and B are each generally disposed proximate the center of the sheet. Thus, after the first folding operation has been performed, the pad 20 takes the general form of an isosceles trapezoid which has a lower edge or base (3-D and which includes upper corners E and F which are formed by the intersection of the upper edge 18 and the resulting folded edges 26 and 28 as shown in FIG. 4. A longitudinally extending third fold line 34 which generally bisects the sheet 20 indicates the approximate position of the next successive fold.

The upper position of the resultant structure as it appears in FIG. 4 is next folded generally downwardly along the fold line 34 to bring the upper edge E-F into registry with an associated portion of the lower edge C-D. Thus, upon completion of the third fold the sheet 20 takes the general form of an isosceles trapezoid which has a base C-D and which includes upper corners G and H which are respectively formed by the intersection of the folded edges 26 and 28 and the resulting folded edge 34 as shown in FIG. 5. It will be noted that the portions 30 and 32 thereafter lie generally between the third or last completed fold and the generally underlying face 24. A fourth fold line which extends generally normal to the lower edge CDFG and which generally bisects the sheet is indicated by the broken line 36 and shows the approximate position of the final fold.

The pad 12 is now formed by folding the transversely opposite halves of the sheet 20 inwardly along the fourth fold line 36 to bring the folded edges 26 and 28 into gen eral registry so that all of the previously folded portions lie between the fourth fold'and the underlying face 24.

The resulting pad 12 has a quadrilateral configuration and includes one skew edge defined by the folded edges 26 and 28 and an extending corner portion 38 which is defined by the skew edge and by the lower edge of the pad.

A pad formed in the aforedescribed manner may be used as an applicator, however, preferably the applicator of the present invention also includes a retaining means for maintaining the pad in a folded condition.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 the clip 14 provides a retaining means and also serves as a convenient handle for the pad as aforementioned. The clip may take various forms but preferably and as shown, the clip 14 includes a pair of opposing jaws 40, 4-4 which are normally biased each toward the other to a closed position and which in the closed position are adapted to grippingly engage the extending corner portion 38. The clip also includes a releasing means indicated generally at 44 for urging the jaws 4t), 40 to an open position in response to finger pressure applied thereto.

In FIG. 7 is shown another embodiment of the invention which comprises a pad 12a formed as aforedescribed. The pad 12a includes an extending corner portion 38a which serves as a retaining means. The corner portion is twisted about an axis 4-6 which extends generally diagonally therethrough, thereby tending to maintain the pad in a folded condition. The twisted corner portion also provides a convenient location for a user to grip the pad between his fingers.

The invention claimed is:

1. A prefolded applicator pad comprising a generally rectangular sheet including an elongated longitudinaly extending lower edge and having transversely opposite end portions folded inwardly along first and second fold lines inclined inwardly and upwardly from the lower corners thereof, said sheet having the upper corners thereof disposed proximate the center thereof so that two triangular portions overlie the face thereof, said sheet so folded being folded along a longitudinally extending third fold line generally bisecting said sheet, said triangular portions lying generally between the third fold and the generally underlying face of said sheet, the resultant structure being folded along a fourth fold line extending generally normal to said lower edge and bisecting said sheet, all of the previous folded portions lying between said fourth fold and said underlying face so that a pad is formed having a quadrilateral configuration and including one skew edge, said lower edge and said skew edge defining an extending corner portion.

2. A prefolded applicator pad as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by retaining means for maintaining said pad in a folded condition.

3. A prefolded applicator pad as set forth in claim 2 wherein said retaining means comprises said extending corner portion being twisted about an axis extending gen erally diagonally therethrough.

4. A prefolded applicator pad as set forth in claim 2 wherein said retaining means comprises a clip detachably secured to said extending corner portion.

5. A prefolded applicator pad as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet is an absorbent pad impregnated with a cosmetic preparation.

6. A prefolded applicator pad as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet is an absorbent pad of random flock material.

7. A prefolded applicator pad as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet has a length to width ratio of approximately 5 to 4.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1950 Kreidler l5506 XR 1/1957 Mikulski 15-568 XR 

1. A PREFOLDED APPLICATOR PAD COMPRISING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHEET INCLUDING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALY EXTENDING LOWER EDGE AND HAVING TRANSVERSELY OPPOSITE END PORTIONS FOLDED INWARDLY ALONG FIRST AND SECOND FOLD LINES INCLINED INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM THE LOWER CORNERS THEREOF, SAID SHEET HAVING THE UPPER CORNERS THEREOF DISPOSED PROXIMATE THE CENTER THEREOF SO THAT TWO TRIANGULAR PORTIONS OVERLIE THE FACE THEREOF, SAID SHEET SO FOLDED BEING FOLDED ALONG A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING THIRD FOLD LINE GENERALLY BISECTING SAID SHEET, SAID TRIANGULAR PORTIONS LYING GENERALLY BETWEEN THE THIRD FOLD AND THE GENERALLY 